Ruthin Town Defences

Has been described as a Possible Urban Defence

There are no visible remains

NameRuthin Town Defences
Alternative NamesRhuthun; Ruffin; Ruthyn
Historic CountryDenbighshire
Modern AuthorityDenbighshire
1974 AuthorityClwyd
CommunityRuthin

No remains of C15 earth and stone defences. (Bond)

Grant to the bailiffs and good men of the town of Ruthyn of murage for six years, at the supplication of the king's kinsman the lord of Grey of Ruthyn, who has shown the king that the town lies so open among the Welsh rebels and (in) their danger (domogerium) that great perils and damages are likely to happen as have happened before by the burning and destruction of the town and the killing of the king's lieges there. (CPR p. 375)

Gatehouse Comments

Murage grant is clearly a response to the Owain Glyndwr revolt. How much work was done after the end of the revolt is questionable, but Soulsby writes 'a ditch was consequently dug around the borough, but no traces of it remain', referencing a C15 record that 'a fossus was made on that land in defence of the town of Ruthin in the time of the Welsh War'. There seems to be no evidence to support Bond's assertion to stone defences and whilst earthen defences were started it is possibly they were never completed.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSJ123582
Latitude53.1154098510742
Longitude-3.31061005592346
Eastings312300
Northings358200
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Lilley, K.D., 2009, 'The Landscapes of Edward's New Towns: Their Planning and Design' in Willams, D. and Kenyon, J. (eds), The Impact of the Edwardian Castles in Wales (Oxbow) p. 99-113
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 27, 99, 204, 275
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press)
  • Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds), Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  • Soulsby, Ian, 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore; Chichester) p. 232-5 (plan)
  • Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) The plans and topography of medieval towns in England and Wales (CBA Research Report 14) p. 57-71 online copy
  • Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 218

Journals

  • Evans, D.G., 2013, ‘Ruthin’s Edwardian defences’ Clwyd Historian Vol. 68 p. 3-10
  • Evans, D.G., 2011, 'The medieval defences of Rhuthun' Clwyd Historian Vol. 64 p. 34-41
  • Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  • Jack, R.I., 1969, 'Welsh and English in the medieval lordship of Ruthin' Denbighshire Historical Society Transactions Vol. 18 p. 37

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1907, Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry IV (1405-08) Vol. 3 p. 375 (murage grant) online copy
  • National Archives SC 12/24/1 (Rental record mentioning ditch)
  • - < >Also see the Gatehouse murage pages for full details of murage [grants > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/murindex.html], [petitions > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/mupindex.html ] and [other such > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/muaindex.html]. < >